


on the mend

by Fandom_Trash224



Series: Batfam Beyond AU [5]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman Beyond, DCU
Genre: Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Damian's Batdad instincts are beginning to awaken, F/M, Family Dynamics, Gen, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, terry 'im fine this is fine' mcginnis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:35:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24255226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fandom_Trash224/pseuds/Fandom_Trash224
Summary: Terry's finally been cleared to go back to school after Inque's attack, but between everybody asking how he is and the fact that his mind is betraying him, it's been rough. He's fine, really!Or is he?
Relationships: Matt McGinnis & Terry McGinnis, Terry McGinnis & Bruce Wayne, Terry McGinnis & Damian Wayne, Terry McGinnis & Mary McGinnis, Terry McGinnis/Dana Tan
Series: Batfam Beyond AU [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1710604
Comments: 10
Kudos: 116





	on the mend

**Author's Note:**

> OKAY SO. i actually wrote this fic twice. i p much completely finished the first version, looked at it, and said "oh wow! i hate this!" so i wrote this one instead. i hope y'all like it!

“Terry!”

Terry couldn’t help the way he all but jumped out of his skin at the sudden shout of his name, whirling around  _ barely _ in time to catch Dana in a hug. Under normal circumstances, he would’ve  _ loved _ to hold her close and act like they wouldn’t get in trouble for PDA-ing on school property, but seeing as there were still more than a few tender spots on his body, he ended up hissing softly and wincing away.

“Sorry,” Dana said quietly, instead opting to reach a hand up to gently cradle Terry’s cheek. “I heard about what happened… I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Me too,” Terry said with a soft smile before pressing a soft kiss to the palm of Dana’s hand. “Not too happy about having to play catch-up on all my schoolwork, though.”

“Nelson told me the coach said he was giving you a pass on most of the physical stuff, and Mr. Ortiz said he would be willing to drop any grades you couldn’t get in on time, and Mrs. B said she was giving extensions, but I have no idea about the other teachers.”

Terry knew about the other teachers. Ortiz and Mrs. B had already been a bit more lenient about Terry’s homework after his father died, especially once Terry had explained to him that he had a job now. Coach, as much of a hardass as he was, genuinely seemed to care about Terry’s well-being more-or-less, even going so far as to let Terry catch a few winks if they weren’t doing much that day. It didn’t happen  _ often _ , but it happened.

Most of the other teachers, however, had continued with the mindset of “business as usual”. Terry didn’t know if it was because they hadn’t been sure on  _ how _ to react, or if they just hadn’t ever really cared that much, but either way, Terry couldn’t help but grimace at the thought of having to deal with them. Dana rubbed Terry’s arm lightly at an attempt at reassurance.

“Hey, don’t worry too much. I’m always willing to help out, and I’m sure Willie would be willing to lend a hand, too.” 

“I know,” Terry breathes out, a slight smile on his face. “I really appreciate it.”

“I’m sure you do,” Dana replied, though her smile dropped a bit. Terry knew that expression all too well. “Terry, can I be honest?”

“Lay it on me.”

“I don’t like the Waynes,” Dana said, her tone so cold, Terry could’ve used it to ice his bruises. Even though he knew it wasn’t directed at him, the tone and the phrase still made him go rigid. “They’re working you to the  _ bone _ , and they sent you out  _ late _ at night when they  _ knew _ someone was going around and sabotaging their assets.”

“They couldn’t have known that she was supposed to hit there next, Dana,” Terry said softly, lightly taking Dana’s hands in his own. “It’s not their fault.”

“It  _ is _ , Terry! You’re  _ seventeen _ and you’re a  _ junior _ in high school! They shouldn’t be making you work all the time, much less when there’s people like  _ that _ on the loose!”

“Dana--”

“Don’t  _ Dana _ me,” Dana shouted, yanking her hands out from Terry’s soft grip before lowering her voice again to continue, “Terry, you got  _ hurt _ ! You could’ve  _ died _ !”

“I’m okay now, aren’t I?” Terry whisper-yelled back, “Look can we just… talk about this later?”

“No! Terry, you honestly can’t tell me you’re  _ okay _ with the way they’re treating you.”

What was Terry  _ supposed _ to say? That he  _ was _ okay with it, because it wasn’t  _ technically _ their fault he was out there that night? That Inque had been after  _ Batman _ , and that he  _ was _ Batman, and  _ that’s _ why he got hurt? 

Yeah, right, because Dana would believe that,  _ totally _ . And even if she  _ did _ believe him, she probably would’ve only been angry at Terry for becoming Batman, and  _ more _ angry at the Waynes for letting him.

So, instead of any of that, he said, “They treat me fine, Dana. It’s just some odd hours, really. It’ll be okay.”

“ _ Terrence Michael McGinnis _ , so  _ help _ me--”

Thankfully, before Dana could  _ really _ begin lovingly tearing him a new one, the first bell rang, signaling that they had five minutes to get to their homeroom. Dana and Terry didn’t share a homeroom, and for once, Terry was thankful for it.

“We’ll talk later, okay?” Terry said softly, pressing a kiss to Dana’s forehead. “I promise.”

“Fine,” Dana sighed out after a moment of apprehension. “We’d better.” 

The two exchanged a gentle embrace, arms loosely wrapped around each other before they pulled apart and, with one final backwards glance between the two of them, went their separate ways.

\---

In a random stroke of both incredible and absolutely horrible luck, Terry and Dana actually didn’t get the chance to talk for the rest of that day. The first few classes they had together had been filled with Terry playing catch-up and dodging questions from his too-nosy-for-their-own-good classmates. Lunch had been more of the same, and the last class they had together, Terry ended up being checked out of school early by his mom. Which was weird, to say the least.

Though, Terry was rarely one to look a gift horse in the mouth, so he went along with it, making sure to text Dana an apology alongside a promise for dinner together sometime that week, his treat. She had yet to reply, which  _ probably _ wasn’t a great sign.

Terry let out a soft sigh, pocketing his phone as he stared out the window. Great. Dana not only hated his employers, but she was probably starting to hate  _ Terry _ , too. He couldn’t exactly  _ blame _ her, seeing how distant he had been towards her ever since his dad’s death (such a short time ago, really, but it felt like it could’ve been years on some days), but at the same time…

Terry sighed again. No. He was  _ definitely _ the one at fault in that situation, dead dads or no.

“Credit for your thoughts?” Terry’s mom said, pulling him back from his thoughts. He glanced back at her in mild surprise before shrugging, returning his gaze to the window.

“I’m thinkin’ about having dinner with Dana sometime this week,” Terry confessed, “She hasn’t texted me back yet, though, so I don’t know if it’s gonna happen.”

“Oh don’t worry, sweetie. I’m sure she’ll text back,” she said, her voice so artificially upbeat that it set Terry on edge. He slowly turned to face her again, a single eyebrow raised. She glanced over at him for a moment before sighing. “How’re you doing, Terry?”

“How d’you mean?”

“I mean… How are you  _ feeling _ ? How was your day? How’s the job been, aside from… well, you know.”

Terry wanted to shrivel up in his seat right then and there, partially because of all the questions, and partially because he didn’t miss the way his mom’s grip on the steering wheel tightened  _ ever _ so slightly at the last part of what she said. Terry cleared his throat, sitting up a bit straighter.

“I’m uh-- I’m fine, I guess? Job’s been pretty good. The Waynes treat me well enough for what they pay, so, you know. I can’t really complain.” 

Mary gave Terry another glance before her expression shifted, becoming almost… determined. That  _ also _ set Terry on edge.

“Terry,” her voice was quiet, but firm, and it made the hairs on the back of Terry’s neck stand up. “I need you to be honest with me. Have you been feeling…  _ depressed _ at all?”

“Wh-- No!” Terry all but shouted, but after another glance from his mom, Terry cleared his throat. Way to not be overly-defensive, Terry. “I’m fine mom, really. I’ve just been a bit tired with all the long hours I’ve been pulling.”

“Alright sweetie, I believe you,” she said in that tone that told Terry that she  _ didn’t _ , but she would let the subject drop for now. “Just know that if you ever need to talk to anyone about  _ anything _ , I’m here for you, alright?”

“Alright. Thanks mom.”

“I mean it, Terry,” her voice was softer, more raw, and Terry once again felt like a jerk for worrying her so much. For worrying  _ everyone _ . “Losing Warr-- losing your father has been hard for  _ everyone _ . You’ve been so  _ strong _ , and I’m  _ so  _ proud of you, but I’m also  _ worried _ .”

“What do you mean? Why?”

“These long hours, constantly avoiding your friends and family, blaming it all on your new job… Terry, I know you may blame yourself for your father’s death, but--”

“I’m  _ fine _ , Mom,” Terry insisted softly, a half-hearted smile on his face as his heart was gripped with guilt over lying to his mom about what really happened to his dad. “Honest. The moment I’m not, I’ll tell you, okay?”

His mom opened her mouth to speak again, but sighed instead, a soft and breathy “Okay, Terry,” escaping past her lips. 

“By the way, why’d you pick me up early, anyhow? I figured you’d want me to spend the whole day, it being my first day back and all.”

“Oh, well… Matt got in trouble at school and I had to pick him up early. I figured it’d only be fair to pick you up, too.”

“Really?” Terry’s eyebrows shot up. He knew his brother was a troublemaker, but enough of one to get sent home? It sounded like something Terry would do, which wasn’t exactly a good thing. “What’d he do?”

“He got into a fight with one of the other children. According to the teacher, they called Matt a clown, and then Matt hit them.”

Terry flinched. That  _ definitely _ sounded like something he’d do, which  _ definitely  _ wasn’t a good thing. It was bad enough Terry had been a delinquent with a temper, Matt didn’t need to end up with that reputation, too. 

Terry sighed again, turning his gaze out his window once more at the buildings passing by, the rest of the ride continuing in silence.

\---

Terry was sitting on the couch in his living room when he heard the front door slam shut, signaling his dad's arrival.

“Rough day?” Terry called out, and he almost laughed when he only heard distant grumbling in reply. “Hey, at least it’s the weekend now, right?”

No response. Okay. That was weird. Terry called out again, “Dad?”

Terry stood up, cautiously making his way over from the couch towards the entrance of the house. As he approached, he saw his father just  _ standing  _ there, still as a statue.

Terry blinked.

He was in his father’s office, torn up and destroyed and  _ covered _ in graffiti. Horrible,  _ horrible _ graffiti, his father’s corpse just  _ laying there  _ on the floor. The police hadn’t arrived yet, but Terry couldn’t move. He was rooted to the spot in horror, bile rising in the back of his throat as his breath hitched. 

The lights flickered, the world shifted under his feet, and despite his attempt to keep his footing, he ended up falling flat on his face so hard that it knocked the wind from his lungs. He tried to scramble to his feet, but his limbs refused to cooperate, frozen in place. 

Of course he was frozen in place. He was wearing the batsuit and one of the Waynes had decided to freeze it again, because they had finally realized Terry wasn’t one of them. He had stolen that suit like the criminal he was, and no amount of vigilante-ing would make up for his past sins, nothing would make him  _ worthy _ enough to bear the name of Batman.

A round of sick laughter echoed all around him, and Terry was suddenly on his back, staring up into faces that were completely blank, save for their sick,  _ twisted _ smiles. They laughed and laughed, and Terry watched in horror as one of the faces morphed into his father’s, staring down at Terry with regret and disappointment before contorting in pain, rotting away to reveal the smug face of Derek Powers.

“So much for the breadwinner, hm?” Powers sneered, his statement causing the hysterical laughter to rise in volume all around Terry as he tried to writhe and move once more. He had to get away, had to fight, had to do  _ something _ ! He was going to  _ die _ !

The figures disappeared, melting into a thick, black ink that filled the space Terry was in. No matter how hard he tried to hold his breath, the gooey substance managed to leak into Terry’s lungs, blocking his airways as he choked. His whole body burned, and so Terry did the one thing he  _ could _ do: He screamed.

He woke up like that, sitting bolt upright and screaming, sore, and breathing like he had just run a marathon. There was a soft electrical  _ hum _ under his skin that made him itch, his lungs still burned, and as Terry raised them to rub over his face, he realized his hands were shaking. It took him another moment to realize that his entire  _ body _ was trembling slightly, and, despite the fact that he  _ wasn’t _ being drowned by evil, sentient goo, he still wasn’t breathing quite right.

It had been a while since Terry had a nightmare, much less one that messed with him so much, but he remembered that he’d always woken up screaming  _ so loud _ that his father would wake up. He’d sit on the edge of Terry’s bed, his voice gentle and soothing as he helped ground Terry. A hand softly carding through his dark hair, a pair of strong arms gently cradling him, quiet affirmations as Terry followed his father’s deep, even breaths until he was okay enough to be  _ exhausted  _ again.

It took Terry almost a full minute of waiting for him to come before he remembered his father was  _ dead _ , and that he wasn’t going to  _ get _ that, so he would have to manage it on his own.

Of course, because the universe  _ hated _ him, any work that had gone into calming down was almost instantly undone by a loud knocking at the door, followed by his mom’s voice calling out, “Terry? Are you alright? I heard someone scream.”

“I’m- I’m okay mom. Just uh,” Terry’s voice was shaking almost as badly as he was, and he had to take a shuddering breath just to keep from completely losing it. “Just woke up. Was watching a video. Scared me. I’m fine.”

There was a beat of silence, then, quietly, “Alright. I’m going back to bed, but if you need to talk about it--”

“Goodnight mom. I love you.”

“I love you too, Ter.”

Terry listened as the soft footfalls grew quieter with distance, and he let out the harsh breath he hadn’t even realized he had been holding. His hands were still shaking, but after a few minutes, he was  _ breathing _ again, so that was good. Part of Terry didn’t trust himself to stand up, but he had too much energy to just keep laying there, so he swung his legs over the side of his bed. He gingerly placed a foot against the floor, testing his weight against it before using the wall as support to haul himself to his feet.

He almost fell flat on his face as he stumbled out of his room, body screaming from both the adrenaline rush and random spikes of pain, but he managed to keep himself stable enough to grab his phone before making his way over to the couch in the living room, all but falling onto it. His shakiness had subsided enough for him to be able to unlock his phone, staring at the screen and seeing the ungodly amount of texts he had missed from various sources.

The first one to catch his eye was a set from Damian, mostly the usual check-in stuff about his pain, his health, etc., but there was also a handful talking about Terry learning to use the computer, considering he wouldn’t be able to patrol anytime soon. Terry let out a soft huff at the reminder, choosing to leave the other vigilante on read, rather than reply to him at--

Oh shit, was it  _ really _ three in the morning? 

Whatever. Damian would probably be on patrol for another couple of hours, so Terry at least had a small window of relaxation before he would have to face the never-ending indignant texts from the older man. 

The next few texts that caught his eye were from  _ Dana _ . She had texted him back just after he had fallen asleep, saying she was willing to go to dinner, but that she’d only be free that night. Okay. Terry could do that. Totally. He figured that, despite it being 3 AM, he should  _ probably  _ text Dana back, because leaving his girlfriend on read after an argument  _ wasn’t  _ a good idea.

He had just finished hitting send on the confirmation when he realized he was being watched. He jumped up despite his aching body’s protests, whirling his head around in an attempt to find the culprit, only for his eyes to hit the form of his younger brother. The very tired, very  _ grumpy _ -looking younger brother. Terry relaxed, releasing the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. 

“Hey,” Terry said, keeping his voice quiet, as one does when it’s three in the morning. “What’re you doing up?”

“Your stupid nightmare woke me up,” Matt muttered, throwing his plush bat toy at Terry. “Why'd you have to scream so  _ loud _ ?”

“It wasn’t-- How do  _ you _ know I had a nightmare?”

“Because I’m not an idiot. And I’m not like mom, who’s just gonna ignore it until you talk to her.”

Terry furrowed his brows at his younger brother, crossing his arms before replying rather acerbically, “What makes you think it was a nightmare?”

“You were screaming like you were dying.  _ Duh _ .”

“I’m fine,” Terry said, rubbing his face and moving towards the kitchen, turning on the lights, but keeping them at a low level. It was too early for the room to be fully lit, even if he was getting cereal. “Go back to bed, Matt.”

“Was it about your job?” Matt asked after retrieving his bat plush, and Terry was almost startled to hear how  _ bitter _ his little brother sounded. “Were you dreaming about the explosion?”

“I didn’t have a nightmare, Matt. I’m  _ fine _ . Now go back to bed.”

“Bullshit.”

“ _ Language _ !” Terry hissed, then added, “You’re only like,  _ eight _ . How do you even  _ know _ that word?”

“I’m  _ ten _ , actually,” Matt sneered, “And it’s not like I’ve never heard the word before. We live in Gotham.”

“That’s-- Don’t say words like that, okay? And go back to bed already, twip.”

“ _ God _ , you sound like  _ Mom _ ,” Matt said, and Terry turned away from his half-full bowl of dry cereal to glare at his younger brother.

“Go.  _ Now _ ,” Terry growled, not wanting to deal with his brother’s antics any more that morning. He hadn’t even realized he had dipped into his Batman voice until he realized Matt  _ genuinely _ seemed afraid, and didn’t  _ that _ make Terry feel like an asshole. “Matt, I’m sorry, I--”

“It’s whatever,” Matt grumbled, fear turning into bitterness as he turned away from Terry to leave the kitchen. He paused for a moment, barely even turning his head to look back as he quietly added, “I get nightmares, too. Mostly about dad. That’s how I knew.”

Before Terry could apologize further, or even attempt to comfort his brother for that matter, Matt was gone. Moments later, he heard the door to his brother’s room creak shut, leaving Terry alone in his kitchen with only his phone and his cereal to keep him company.

\---

“You’re on-time,” were the first words out of Dana’s mouth as Terry sat across from her in the diner booth, followed by, “I take it you’re off-duty for tonight, then?”

“Yeah,” Terry chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I mean, unless they call me for something, but… Yeah.”

Dana raised an eyebrow at Terry, who tilted his head in confusion at her expression. Dana sighed, then said, “I don’t care how many painkillers they put you on, you shouldn’t be going back to work yet. You’re still recovering.”

“I’m fi--”

“Terry, I love you, but if you say you’re ‘fine’,” Dana made air quotes with her fingers. “One more time, I’m going to scream.”

“I’m… okay?” Terry tried, and Dana leveled him with a look that would probably send  _ Damian _ running. “Sorry.”

“I know,” Dana said, “Speaking of your job… What were you doing up at three in the morning? I hope that the Waynes hadn’t--”   
  
“They didn’t!” Terry exclaimed before wincing both at the volume of his own voice and the way his whole body went rigid, pain lancing through him as it did. He relaxed a bit before continuing, “It was-- I just happened to wake up and noticed you texted me. I promise.”

“You just  _ happened _ to wake up?” Dana asked, an eyebrow raised. After a moment of hesitation, Terry sighed.

“Nightmare,” Terry admitted, and Dana’s face softened. The expression made Terry’s skin prickle. He hadn’t wanted her  _ pity _ . “Nothing major. It just happened to wake me up, is all.”

“Terry, we grew up together, remember? Last time I remember you having a nightmare that woke you up, it was during the school camping trip. You screamed so loud you woke  _ everyone else _ up, too. You told me  _ yourself  _ that your nightmares pack a punch.  _ Please _ tell me you at least talked to your mom about it.”

Terry cringed, and Dana sighed again. Before either of them could say anything else, however, the waiter finally made his way over to them, a bright smile on his face. Unnerving to see in Gotham, but based on the guy’s Superman pin, he was probably from out of town. 

“Hey there, sorry for the wait. My name’s Ken. What can I get you two to drink?” He asked, sickeningly peppy. Dana and Terry exchanged a glance.

_ Eugh. Metros. _

“Two waters. One with lemon,” Terry said, recalling that Dana wasn’t a fan of lemon with her water. Hopefully, that would earn him some brownie points with her, but probably not, knowing his luck.

“Got it! You two ready to order, or do you need a minute?”

“‘Nother minute, thanks.”

With a nod, Ken walked away, leaving Terry and Dana looking at each other with mirrored expressions of mild disgust.

“Jeez… Whatever that guy’s having, I think I need some of it,” Terry joked, though Dana didn’t look too amused. In fact, she actually looked the  _ opposite _ , her arms crossed and brows furrowed. “Sorry.”

“ _ Terry _ ,” Dana sighed, tenderly taking Terry’s hands in her own, cradling so gently, Terry wondered if she thought they’d break otherwise. “ _ Please _ , just…  _ talk to me _ .”

“I…” Terry’s breath shuddered for a moment, and really, he was ninety percent sure he was about to spill about  _ everything _ he did with the Waynes, but before he could, his phone began to ring. He gave Dana an apologetic look as he picked it up. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Hey, it’s Duke,” Duke said, and Terry almost swore out loud. His expression must’ve said it all, because Dana looked  _ incensed _ . “You got Damian’s texts, right?”

“Uh, yeah. Listen, can this wait, ‘cause I’m kinda in the middle of some--”

“Sorry man, but Damian’s about to blow a gasket over you leaving him on read. He said to either get your butt down to the cave, or he’s locking up the suit the next time you try to use it.”

“He  _ can’t _ be serious.”

“You know how he is, Terry. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, thanks…,” Terry muttered, “See ya, Duke.” 

“Good luck, Terry.”

Terry hung up, but before he could even say anything, Dana held up a hand. 

“Let me guess,” Dana spoke calmly, but it was that sort of calm that was ten times scarier than yelling and screaming, “Something came up, and they need  _ you _ to do it.”

“Yeah. It’s nothing major. Just some small stuff around the Manor.”

“Part of me wants to ask you to stay, but I know how important this job is for you, even if it  _ does _ suck and the people you work for don’t give a damn about you.”

“They  _ do _ care, Dana. Honest. It’s just,” Terry sighed as he stood, sliding his debit card in and out of the payment slot. “It’s complicated. Order whatever you’d like… I’m really sorry, Dana.”

“I know.”

“I love you,” Terry said, pressing a soft kiss to Dana’s head.

“I love you, too,” Dana replied, her voice soft but distant.

As Terry made his way out, he was briefly stopped by Ken, whose cheery demeanor was replaced with confusion as he spoke, “Hey, everything alright? You two seem really upset.”

“It’s fine,” Terry said, doing his best to not cringe at the way the words fell from his mouth so easily. “And Ken, word of advice? If you’re gonna stick around in Gotham for a while, try to tone down the metro attitude. It’s not doing you any favors.”

\---

Terry thought that he had been bored  _ before _ , being on bedrest, and then having to just  _ not _ be on patrol, but sitting at the computer and having to just  _ watch _ the others do their thing? That was  _ worse _ . Combine the fact that it was  _ already _ a slow night… Terry didn’t have much to do but sit uncomfortably in the chair at the computer as his barely-effective painkillers began to wear off. 

None of that exactly helped with the fact that he was already getting  _ tired _ .

“How come you decided to give me this so-called computer training on the  _ one _ night that absolutely  _ nothing _ is going on in Gotham?” Terry lamented, leaning back in his seat before instantly regretting it with a soft grunt. 

“It’s not  _ my _ fault you refused to schedule a proper date for it,” Damian retorted, “Had you responded simply with ‘not tonight’, it would have been fine.”

“It was  _ three in the morning _ .”

“You were awake, and you  _ knew _ I was awake. Besides, you replied to your  _ girlfriend _ , didn’t you?”

Terry felt his face heat up. “How’d you know about that?”

“How do you  _ think _ , McGinnis? Oracle isn’t the only person here who knows how to hack into systems, especially ones as flimsy as a cellphone network.”

Terry cringed. Of course. “Yeah… By the way, because of the whole ‘me almost dying’ thing, she’s not exactly a fan of you guys.”

“I’m heartbroken,” Damian said flatly, “Do you think she will become a problem?”

“I’m more worried about her dumping me because I keep blowing her off, but if she  _ doesn’t _ do that, she’s also pretty likely to call the cops on you guys for how you apparently treat me.”

“Is there any way you could  _ dissuade _ her from doing that?”

“Well, it’d be a lot  _ easier _ if I didn’t have to constantly leave our dates before they’ve even  _ begun _ .”

Terry watched through Damian’s vidlink as he grappled through the air. In the corner, Terry could see a clear and concise readout of his vitals, his heart rate rising slightly as the adrenaline that came from such an act, and Terry couldn’t help but idly wonder what his looked like while  _ he _ was on patrol. 

“Where’s everybody else, anyways?” Terry asked, “I’m surprised Oracle wasn’t the one to call me for you.”

“Oracle is out with her friends, Batwoman is helping with a case in Blüdhave, and my father is upstairs asleep. It… It was a long day.”

“So he’s  _ not _ entirely nocturnal?”

“As shocking as it is, no, he’s not,” A silence settled between the two of them for several moments before Damian landed on a rooftop and, after standing there for several moments, he spoke again, “How have you been, Terrence?”

Terry blinked in surprise. Damian hadn’t called him Terrence since he had first officially gotten his job, and even then, it had been more to keep up appearances than anything. “Uh, I mean… I’ve been fine, I guess? Kinda sore, but otherwise fine.”

“Are you sure? A lot has happened in--”

“I said I’m  _ fine _ , Bateleur,” Terry snapped, “God, I’m so  _ sick _ of people asking me if I’m okay. I’m fine! I’m not some stupid kid, I can deal with this on my own!”

“I’m sure you can,” Damian said, but his tone wasn’t mocking. It was completely  _ genuine _ , even as he continued with, “But you don’t  _ have _ to.”

“I’m  _ fine _ ,” Terry insisted, though his voice wavered for a moment. “I can handle this.”

Silence. Terry was pretty sure Damian didn’t believe him, just like his mom and Matt and Dana didn’t, and the assumption was only confirmed when Damian asked, “Why were you awake so early this morning?”

“I just sorta…  _ woke up _ . Screwy sleep schedules will do that to a guy.”

“ _ Terrence _ ,” Damian’s tone left no room for argument, and Terry sighed.

“Had a nightmare. It shook me up, so I stayed awake. It happens sometimes.”

“How often is  _ sometimes _ ?”

“I dunno! Not often enough for you to worry? I literally haven't had nightmares in  _ years _ , so this was probably just a one-time thing. It’s  _ fine _ .”

“In my experience,” Damian said slowly, as if he were picking his words carefully. “Nightmares that keep you awake are hardly ever  _ one-time things _ .”

“Yeah, well, in  _ my _ experience, I’m fine, so whatever.” 

Terry heard Bateleur sigh, but the vigilante didn’t say anything more on the subject, so Terry considered it to be thoroughly dropped. Good. Bad enough he had to dodge his mom and brother, he didn’t need his  _ bosses _ hounding him about his own issues.

Yeah okay, so maybe he wasn’t  _ entirely _ fine, but really, who  _ was _ ?

Terry yawned slightly, and wanted to groan in annoyance. Apparently, his body was now not only mad at him for moving around as much as he had been, but for staying up for so long without even  _ trying _ to nap at any point in the day.  _ Great _ .

Terry sighed, focusing on trying to stay awake. Then, he blinked.

When he opened his eyes, the cave was completely dark, though it didn’t stay that way for long. 

It started with a single, smaller monitor at the computer lighting up with a harsh, staticky sound, displaying only a blank screen. Then another lit up. And another. And another. 

It continued like that until all but the main monitor were lit until, finally, the main monitor lit up in the center, bathing the entire area around Terry in harsh white light. He got a sick feeling in the pit that had opened in his stomach as he turned around, and the sight he was greeted with had him stumbling back, a hand pressed over his mouth to try and keep himself from screaming, though he wasn’t sure he would’ve been able to with the lump in his throat anyways.

Cold, unmoving corpses littered the ground of the cave, the white light from the monitors casting menacing shadows onto them, making them almost appear as if they were  _ glaring _ at Terry. It took him a moment to recognize them, but once he did, he wanted to puke.

His mom, his dad, Matt, Dana, Bruce, Damian, Tim, Cass, Steph, Duke, Luke, Tiff, Tam, even Dick and Jason. Hell,  _ Barbara  _ was there, all laid out silent and cold. Terry’s breathing picked up, becoming harsh and uneven.

How had that even happened? Who had gotten into the cave? Jokerz? Powers? One of that bastards  _ fucking lackeys _ ?

It didn’t matter. They were dead. They were dead and Terry was just  _ standing _ there,  _ horrified _ . What else could he do?

“Terry!” A harsh, familiar voice had Terry gasping awake, his chest heaving slightly. Almost instantly, there was a hand on his shoulder, and Terry had half a mind to kick the person it was attached to away, but once his eyes hit Bruce’s, he realized he was okay. It was safe. 

“Sorry,” Terry gasped out, but Bruce hushed him. Terry’s breathing was still uneven and spluttering, his skin tingling like it had been electrified. He looked down, but Bruce crouched in front of him, gently taking Terry’s face in his old, calloused hands.

“Eyes on me, McGinnis,” Bruce said quietly, “Focus on my breathing, and try to follow it, okay?”

Terry nodded, doing as he was told until finally, his breathing was back under control. His skin still felt tingly, his mind was still running  _ way _ too haphazardly, and he somehow felt  _ more _ exhausted than he had before. His whole body ached, and he couldn’t help but sag in the chair slightly as Bruce pulled away, grunting as he stood. Terry shoved his face into his hands, mortified and too tired to do anything more.

“Thank you,” Terry muttered, though it was muffled by his hands somewhat. “I’m… I’m okay.”

“I don’t think you’re  _ nearly  _ as ‘okay’ or ‘fine’ as you claim,” Bruce said, his voice gruff but concerned. “I  _ do _ think you need to go home and rest.”

“I’m fine. I can--”

“ _ Terrence _ ,” Damian’s voice came over the comms, and it made Terry jump and pull his head from his hands. He had almost forgotten that the vigilante was there. “Go home. Talk to your girlfriend and family. The more they worry, the harder it will be to perform your duties.”

“But what about--”

“I’ll take over the computer duty for tonight,” Bruce said, pulling Terry up from the chair. “Oracle will be back in time for the later shift. Go  _ home _ .”

Terry opened his mouth to argue, but in that moment, he felt like even making a sound would break something deep,  _ deep _ inside him, and the thought of that happening in front of Bruce and Damian made his skin crawl. So, he just closed his mouth and nodded, all but rushing towards the entrance of the cave to get home.

\---

“He’s almost as bad as the rest of you were,” Bruce remarked quietly, watching as the teen scrambled to leave. “He’s going to need all the help he can get.”

“If he’ll even accept it,” Damian replied, “He seems pretty averse to being seen as anything but fine.”

“We have to be patient. He’s young, a lot’s happened recently. Once he’s well enough, he’ll be back on patrol--”

“And then what? He throws himself into another life-or-death situation to add to his nightmares? Give his family and friends more reasons to be worried about his life?”

“Damian--”

“I  _ know _ , he  _ needs _ to be Batman, but…,” Damian took a breath before continuing, “What if it breaks him?”

“It won’t. He’s strong, Damian, just as much as any of us. He may splinter, and hurt, and burn, but he won’t break. Especially with the people he loves there to help.”

“He shouldn’t  _ have _ to hurt.”

“I know. Believe me, I  _ know _ ,” Bruce watched an alert pop up. Robbery in-progress. Crime didn’t wait for anyone, not even vigilantes with slowly awakening paternal instincts. “I’m sending you coordinates to a robbery. Reports say it may be Jokerz, so be careful.”

“I will,” a pause, then, “I love you, father.”

“I love you too, Damian.” 

\---

Terry was feeling  _ mildly _ more stable by the time he got home, at least enough that his mom didn’t  _ instantly _ look worried as he entered, despite it being earlier than he originally told her he’d be coming home.

“Hey Ter,” his mom said quietly as she grabbed her purse from the counter. “I was just about to head out. Matt’s already in bed, and there’s leftovers in the fridge if you’re hungry.”

“Thanks mom,” Terry said, his voice much softer than he meant for it to be. That earned a concerned look.

“Everything alright, Terry?”

“I’m--” Terry wasn’t  _ fine _ . He hadn’t been fine when his parents divorced, he hadn’t been fine when he was sent to juvie for three months, he hadn’t been fine when his dad died, he hadn’t beem fine when he almost fucking  _ died _ several times in the past few weeks, and he  _ certainly _ wasn’t fine right then. He managed to keep the choking feeling out of his voice as he continued, “Can we talk later? I’m… having some issues. It can wait till tomorrow, but--”

“Of course, sweetie,” his mom said gently, placing a hand on Terry’s cheek with a soft smile. Terry had to force himself to not lean into the touch. “I told you, I’m here for you when you need me.”

“Thanks mom. I love you.”

“I love you too, Ter. Have a good night.”

Terry pressed a kiss to his mom’s cheek as she left, and he waited until he heard the lock on the door click before he finally relaxed.

\---

“Terry?” Dana asked, picking up only after the second ring. “I’m surprised you called.”

“Yeah, I know,” Terry said quietly, running his fingers through his hair. “Listen, I’m… I’m really sorry about calling off our date. I want to make it up to you somehow.”

“Terry…”

“The Waynes just cleared my schedule for the next couple of weeks, or at least until I’m healed up. Any day, any time, you name a place and I’ll be there, okay?”

“Okay,” Dana said slowly, “And… we’ll talk?”

“I-- Yeah,” Terry’s voice was unexpectedly choked, which was annoying, considering he had been able to hold it back before. “We’ll talk. I love you.”

“I love you too, Terry. Stay safe.”

“You too.”

Terry let out a harsh breath after Dana hung up, and he put his phone back into his pocket as he made his way to his room. His  _ everything _ ached, but in the war between pain and tiredness, the latter won every time.

\---

When Terry first woke up, he was surprised for two reasons. The first and foremost being the fact that he hadn’t been woken by a nightmare, the second and probably more pressing being the fact that there was a shadow standing next to his bed, staring at him.

Terry’s whole body tensed for a moment, but once he heard a soft sniffle and watched the small shadow wipe at its cheeks, Terry realized he wasn’t in any sort of danger. 

“Matt?” Terry asked, squinting in an attempt to get a better look at the figure in the dark. “Is’at you?”

“Yeah,” Matt whispered. The slight warble to Matt’s voice had Terry waking up a  _ lot  _ faster, especially as he hiccuped before continuing with, “I’m sorry, I just--”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Terry shifted to the side, gesturing for Matt to sit on the bed with him. As his younger brother crawled up to his side, Terry pulled him as close to his as he could manage without hurting himself. “I’m guessin’ you had a nightmare?”

Matt didn’t respond at first, just nodding his head. Then, after a moment, Matt got up, carefully climbing over Terry so that he was sitting on the teen’s left side before cautiously laying his ear right on top of where Terry’s heart was. Terry raised an eyebrow, but otherwise didn’t say anything.

“I just needed to make sure you were okay,” Matt said quietly, and Terry frowned. Matt elaborated, his voice slightly choked up, “I… I already lost dad. I don’t wanna lose you, too.”

_ Oh _ .

“Hey,” Terry said softly, carding his fingers carefully through Matt’s dark hair. “You’re not gonna lose me. I can take care of myself, and the Waynes--”

“They almost got you killed over some  _ stupid _ papers or whatever,” Matt hissed, sniffling slightly. “They don’t  _ care _ !”

“They do,” Terry said softly, “They took me home from the hospital, remember? They watched me, made sure I was safe, called mom…  _ They really care _ , Matt.”

Terry’s voice went a bit hoarse on the last few words, but if Matt noticed or cared, he didn’t show it. Instead, Terry felt his brother move a bit closer, practically snuggling into him. It stung a little bit, but not enough for Terry to wince or pull away.

“You’re not allowed to die,” Matt said, though it was somewhat muffled by Terry’s side. “I don’t care if you lose your job, you’re not allowed to leave us, too.”

“I won’t,” the words fell from Terry’s mouth almost automatically, a promise he fully intended to keep without even realizing it. “You’re stuck with me till the end of time, twip. Sorry.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do.”

“ _ How _ ?”

Terry opened his mouth to speak, but found that the only answer he really had was that he was  _ Batman _ . He couldn’t just tell his ten-year-old little brother that he was Batman, not if the history of Batman and Robin taught him anything. He wasn’t willing to put his brother in danger like that, not even to try and comfort him.

But… there  _ was _ another option.

“It’s a secret,” Terry whispered conspiratorially, pulling back just enough to look at Matt. “So if I tell you, you  _ can’t _ tell anybody else. Not even mom.”

Matt looked skeptical at best, but nodded anyways. “Okay.”

“Did the Waynes ever tell you how I got to the hospital from the building?” Terry asked. Matt shook his head no, so Terry continued, “Well, the truth is:  _ Batman _ saved me.”

Matt’s eyes went wide as he gaped. “ _ Really _ ?”

“Yup. He actually stopped by Wayne Manor while I was recovering there to check in on me. Apparently, he’s on pretty good terms with the Waynes, which means he’s on pretty good terms with  _ me _ , too.”

“You  _ met _ Batman?”

“Yup. He promised to keep an eye out for me, so no matter how much trouble I’m in, he’ll make sure I come back alive. He promised, swore on his life and everything. It was  _ kinda _ dramatic.”

“Woah…” Matt said with a yawn. 

The kid looked as tired as Terry felt, and, despite the ungodly amount of cooing his mom would undoubtedly do if she found them like that, Terry didn’t feel the need to get Matt back to his own room. Instead, in a moment the brothers would likely deny having later, Terry pressed a kiss to the top of his younger brother’s hair and pulled him close, maneuvering the two of them into a position that would be comfortable for both of them. 

Neither he nor Matt had nightmares that night.

**Author's Note:**

> check me out on tumblr!
> 
> dc: gothamhell.tumblr.com  
> main: fandom-trash224.tumblr.com


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